Wireless devices are becoming ubiquitous. These devices use a number of wireless transmission standards. The most common are the IEEE 802.11 standards, commonly known as Wi-Fi or wireless LAN (WLAN). Wi-Fi is commonly used to connect devices to the Internet. One area of rapid development with regard to wireless Internet connections is the “Internet of Things” (IoT). “Normal” connections to the Internet involve some type of computer, such as a laptop or smart phone. IoT devices use wireless or wired connections to the Internet for various purposes. An IoT appliance may include a Wi-Fi module to allow the manufacturer to monitor operation of the appliance, suggest when maintenance is necessary, update control firmware, automatically order supplies, or diagnose problems.
In an IoT device such as an appliance, power consumption by the IoT device is not a large concern because the appliance draws power from the home's power system. However, not all IoT devices have access to a wired supply or can be conveniently wired into a power source. For example, motion sensors can be used for security systems and for automatic lighting. An outlet is rarely available at the optimal position for these devices and it is very expensive to provide custom wiring to the device. Therefore, it is desirable to operate these devices using battery power. In addition, it is desirable to have long battery life to minimize the need to replace the batteries in these devices. However, the wireless function must be connected to the network (local or Internet) in order to fully function. Therefore, for these battery powered devices, it is important that the wireless connection consume as little power as possible.